by Bobby Joe Snipes, Guest Writer
For years I have fed birds in the back yard. I have a special area where I do not grow flowers and it is perfect to throw out a cup full of milo or even a special bird mix. The bird mixes have small millet seeds and therefore attract a lot of small wrens and sparrows. Through the years, I discontinued with the bird mix and just threw out the milo. The birds that were attracted most to milo were the doves.
But when you attract doves you also attract their predators…. feral cats. Gee, it was disheartening going out in the morning and seeing dove feathers all over the back yard. So I became a cat trapper. I carried dozens of feral cats to the animal shelter and eventually eliminated those bad boys and my dove population began to grow. I had mourning dove, white wing dove and ring necks. After some research, I learned that the ring necks were Asian dove or Collared Dove. They were called "collared" because they had a black collar at the base of their necks and it looked like a “collar”.
As time progressed, I began throwing out the grain and standing close by to watch the birds. Most would fly away when they saw me but a couple of the Collared doves would hang around and eat even though they watched me very closely. As an experiment, I started tossing a little grain in the feeding area and making a little pile by the sidewalk. The two doves would eat their way toward the pile and then dive into the pile of grain. So I decided to do the same but stay very close to the pile. And cautiously they would work their way toward the pile but only one would come up to the pile while I was kneeled down close by and I named her “Dovie”.
But the progress continued and “Dovie” eventually would jump upon the sidewalk and eat out of my hand. She didn’t like the grain piled up in the palm of my hand so she would strike it with her bill and scatter the grain on the side walk and then go peck the seed one grain at a time.
This took a lot of patience because I would have to remain motionless. The slightest move of a finger would startle Dovie and she would jump away and observe before she would come back.
This love affair continued and Dovie learned to get my attention. One time I was pruning my tomato vine and Dovie flies right down by me and coos. At first I was startled because I did not know she was close by. I would talk to her and she would cock her head and then fly over to her feeding spot and I would reward her immediately. Now, sometimes she will fly to the cable line and set and coo. Oftentimes she will fly over to the little bird house which is by the feeding area and sit there and coo or fly down to the feeding area….walking around pecking on the dirt like she was telling me it was time to eat.
One day I was cleaning the floor mats out of my pickup in the front driveway, very busy, concentrating on my work. I turned around and there was Dovie. She was about a yard from me right down on the driveway. I said “Well, Dovie, are you hungry? Well, come on to the back yard and I will feed you”. She followed me like a little puppy for about 10 yards and then flew upon the fence and then to the feeding area. Now, when I am in the back yard watering the garden or puttering around, Dovie will fly down right at my feet. I will talk to her and she will coo. I start walking toward the little storage barn and she follows me to the barn. I will grab a handful of grain and easily move toward the feeding area. I always make her eat out of my hand first then I will very gently dump it onto the sidewalk.
For two or three days a while back Dovie seemed to have a ferocious appetite. She was begging grain several times a day and I told Betty that Dovie is eating like she is feeding some babies. Well sure enough a few days after that I saw Dovie feeding her two babies. The two young ones were flying but they were still depending on Dovie for a meal. One of the babies will come down and feed by Dovies side…..Betty and I think that she is a little female staying close to her mommy. The other baby which we think is a male does not show up…..we figured that he was out chumming with his dad and learning how to provide for himself.
Yes, Dovie is still flying down at my feet and I talk to her and she coos to me. I don’t understand her and she doesn’t understand me but both of us seem to sense that we are here to take care of each other. The Bible says that God knows when a sparrow falls to the earth and I think God put Dovie here for a purpose.
----30----The Bible also speaks of doves in the New Testament as a sign of the Holy Spirit…..representing gentleness and purity. Dovie makes going out to tend to the garden and flowers a real pleasure. She gives me a gentle joy as I share in the greatness of God.
Bobby Joe Snipes, for Mil's Place, 8/22/14
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